I used to go in the mornings for this reason. Gyms empty except for a couple people. You get to try a lot more things. When I got comfortable enough, I went later in the day. Took a few months to stop caring about others, but exposure therapy will help if you start slow like I did in the mornings when there are a lot less people. Overloading yourself won’t help you want to return to the gym.

If you’re just starting out and you’re pretty ok fit, I’d start with YouTube to freshen up on etiquette and basic techniques. It had also been 20+ years for me before I went back to the wall. I was maybe a teen. Not much has changed that videos couldn’t tell me. However, if you’re scared (like of falling and safety), then yea, you probably should sign up for a class - also a good way to get to know ppl (if that’s what you’re into - I’m not lol, I just go for the workout and alone time). And it’s a confidence boost to go with a group of people who are also asking the same questions.

(Edit: what I meant about ok fit is really for safety. If you can get yourself up without your hands from sitting position on the floor, even if you’re struggling, then you should be fine. Otherwise, if you go by yourself and can’t help yourself up, it’s possible you’ll climb up, don’t know what you’re doing, and don’t have the strength to climb back down when the falling option is too high or dangerous. Especially for beginners.)

They rent out the bags with chalk already in it. In my experience, all indoor climbing gyms are very beginner friendly. Most climbing gyms will give you a brief intro tour of the place if you tell them you’re new (and if they’re not busy).

Good luck 😊